The Duluth dinosaurs may soon be extinct.
The large dinosaurs (and other outdoor decor at the Paragon shopping center on Satellite Boulevard) have been endangered for months after county employees determined they were put there without permission, and code enforcement cited the property owner.
Gwinnett County’s planning department said the dinosaurs and other “displays of bright colors” could be considered “visual blight” that would negatively affect neighboring properties.
Shopping center owner Lisa Reeves requested a special permit from the Gwinnett County Planning Commission to keep the dinosaurs and other carnival-like decorations, including a replica of the Eiffel Tower, in place. Visitors to Paragon can sometimes be seen taking pictures in front of the tower.
Tuesday, a compromise was reached — but if it’s approved by the Board of Commissioners later this month, it would mean the demise of the reptiles.
Marian Adeimy, a lawyer representing the owner, said Reeves would no longer seek to keep the dinosaurs or other displays, but she asked that the Eiffel Tower remain.
Adeimy said she understood that the county wanted the castle-like shopping center to be a “quality gateway to Gwinnett County.”
“We want this to be an improvement and something people want to visit,” Adeimy said. The Eiffel Tower “is a neat feature on the property,” she added.
Neighbor Janelle Clodfelter said she and other neighbors love the tower, but wanted the dinosaurs and other displays to go.
“They’re not made for outdoor use,” she said. “They’re not holding up to the elements.”
Planning commissioners recommended that the Eiffel Tower remain for the next year, with static white lights, but that the other displays be removed.
“It’s the best compromise and solution we could hope for,” Planning Commissioner Paula Hastings said. “We all do like the Eiffel Tower.”
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